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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

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Original poster

Please sleep more at night!!

8 replies

Kwatts1979 · 26/09/2013 08:03

Hi, looking for help so we all get more sleep!!

My 15 week old who is now bottle fed wont take more than 3-4oz per feed during the day which means she still wants fed every 3 hours during the night!!

I'm waking her at 7am as the routine I'm following days and trying to feed her, even though she last fed at 5.30am but she won't take a 7am feed so that puts the routine out the window straight from the start!!

Can anyone suggest anything I can do to try make her take bigger feeds during the day so maybe she'll go longer at night???? xx

OP posts:

Forgetfulmog · 26/09/2013 08:09

Feeding every 3 hrs at night is good at that stage, believe me! You may find things improve when she's 6 months & you start weaning her, but for now just go with it. Lots of coffee & chocolate during the day helps!

My 1 yr old still sometimes wakes every 2 hrs during the night. Some babies are just like that & those parents who tell you their babies were sleeping through by 5 weeks are either lying or just lucky

AnythingNotEverything · 26/09/2013 08:17

I don't think you'll get far with a routine that involves waking her up for food just after you've fed her. No wonder you're so tired! Do you have other DCs to get to school? Any other reason you need to be up at 7am?

I also don't think three hourly is too bad at this age, particularly if she's in a routine with it. Do you have you bottle making/heating routine as smooth as possible? I've heard people recommend those bottle warmers. Does she settle quickly after feeding?

Do you get help from DP? Could you share those night feeds, or could he do the late feed or a dream feed while you get to bed?

Sorry - this probably isn't the silver bullet you were hoping for!

User3433399 · 26/09/2013 08:20

I thought you were going to say she was waking every hour - I'm afraid every three is pretty good going!

Has anyone suggested that 15 weeks is too young to be 'put on a routine?'. I was told by the midwives and HVs that it's only from about three months that babies can start to be susceptible to 'training' their food and sleep patterns. My DD certainly resisted any attempts until she was 6 months.

Also - why on earth are you WAKING her at 7am for a feed?!!!! Do YOU need to get up at that time? If not, FGS leave her and get all the sleep you can. She is telling you that the routine isn't right for her by refusing the feed at 7am. At that age they need to feed on demand taking the amount they can handle, when they are hungry.

If you are lucky enough to have a baby who doesn't have reflux/colic etc. I wouldn't risk messing with that by trying to force feed her bigger bottles. She's probably drinking what's comfortable for her stomach capacity.

If I were you I would ditch the routine, follow her cues and sleep when she sleeps if you want more sleep yourself...

User3433399 · 26/09/2013 08:24

Sorry just seen she's older than three months. As I said mine wouldn't do anything but feed on demand until 6 months so you may have to go with it...

minipie · 26/09/2013 20:57

Throw away Gina Ford is my advice

You could try feeding her more often in the day (rather than bigger feeds) see if that helps.

beepoff · 26/09/2013 21:33

Let your baby find their own routine unless you have a v v good reason to establish one. It will make your life much easier I think...

purrpurr · 26/09/2013 21:46

My DD won't have more than 4oz per feed during the day either.

Interestingly, the Health Visitors and midwives have been very firm and worried about this, and have weighed her and gone on about volume and so on. The paediatrician I saw said to be led by the baby, not the numbers.

Every three hours is tough, mine is 18 weeks and we feed every three hours. Well, I say feed, she suffers from reflux so we feed and scream and comfort every three hours. The night time feeds are the nicest because she doesn't scream.

Years from now we won't remember this, get yourself a family member or friend to take over for a full day and take to your bed with big mugs of tea and biccies and box sets. Bonus points for a warm purring moggy to warm the foot of the bed.

cantthinkofagoodone · 26/09/2013 21:48

At 16 weeks I spaced feeds to 4 hourly as ds became distractable. This meant fewer larger daytime feeds and reduced nighttime feeds for us.

Try and see if you can reduce the 5.30 bottle a bit so shes hungry at 7.

I followed more of an easy routine so I could occasionally lie in. By the clock is tricky until theyre older.

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